There is no doubt that the best developers in the world of programming are the ones who can write large amounts of codes in the shortest amount of time possible.  And a large part of becoming an efficient developer stems from the ability to master integrated development environment (IDE).

For PHP developers in particular, the PHP Developer Tools framework for Eclipse has become the most popular form of IDE that is being used in order to achieve maximum efficiency when it comes to programming.

So, here is a list of tips, tricks, and tools that you can use to reduce the amount of time of your code input:

#1: Configure the Zend Framework Completion or any other framework that you might use.

#2: Install the Zen Coding Plugin which is instrumental in rapidly generating CSS and HTML.

#3: PHP Templates can save you a lot of typing, which in turn, saves a lot of time.

#4: Using the PHP Functions Menu is a good idea!

#5: Integrating a Local PHP Manual will help you look deeper within a function’s capabilities.

#6: PHPDoc and PHPUnit are useful and can be used as external tools.

#7: Do not think twice about installing the Zend Debugger Plugin.

#8: Add Git Integration if you want a stable and unobtrusive version control system.

#9: You can manage MySQL databases with QuantumDB without leaving the PDT environment.

#10: Downloading the Eclipse cheat sheet will help you navigate the environment quickly.